‘Aw, thanks, Emma. If you can it would be so amazing. I’ll work extra another day, or cover a shift for you.’

‘Thanks, I might need that favour some time.’

So, Saturday was going to be an extra busy day. A full-on chocolate shop, no Holly, hopefully someone else to help, though, and then her meal to look forward to with Max. She’d give Bev a ring right away.

Bev could only do couple of hours on the Saturday morning as she had promised to take Pete’s mum into Newcastle to do her Christmas shopping. His mother didn’t drive any further than the local market town these days, being nervous in city traffic. Bev couldn’t let her mother-in-law down, and Emma wouldn’t want her to. Oh well, two hours in the morning would help, so she took Bev up on her offer, and she’d just multitask herself for the rest of the day. No point disappointing Holly.

She could tell Holly was literally bouncing as she heard the good news when Emma phoned her later.

‘Oooh, thank you so much. Love you, Em. Can’t wait to tell Adam. Yay!’

It felt good to make someone’s day.

It was a bit of a mad rush to get ready and changed that Saturday by seven for her dinner date with Max. The restaurant sounded fairly swish, so she’d opted for a red wraparound dress which she usually wore in the summer, but teamed it with tights and black leather knee-length boots for a winter look. She felt comfy in it, and it clung in just the right places. She flicked a brush through the curls of her hair, which she had left loose, falling past her shoulders, and checked in the dressing-table mirror to see if she had remembered to put any lipstick on. Grabbing a small black-velvet clutch bag, she popped in her purse and the red lipstick she’d just used and spritzed herself with some perfume. She felt a bit nervous: this was the first date since she had gone to see Max down in Jesmond and she hoped all her doubts and fears hadn’t spoilt things for them.

She heard an engine pull to a halt outside. She got up off the stool and checked out of the bedroom window. There he was, parked up in the jeep. She saw him get out of the vehicle, smart in dark chinos and a pale-blue shirt. He was also holding the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers, wrapped in tissue and cellophane, most definitely not from a supermarket. She saw his broad shoulders rise slowly as he took a deep breath before he knocked on the chocolate shop door. She felt his nerves too. It felt a bit like a new start for them both; they didn’t want to mess things up this time.